Yes, I’m sure some of you might remember this post in which I renewed my post-collegiate vow never to eat Domino’s Pizza again.
I blame my husband. A few weeks ago, he went to our gym on a night they were offering free pizza. (I know, that makes a whole lot of sense.) The pizza happened to be the new Domino’s recipe, and he wanted to see what the hype was all about. He came home talking about it. “It’s…better,” he reported. “Still not great.”
Domino’s chefs reportedly added red pepper and herbs to kick up the sauce, crafted a mozzarella/provolone cheese blend and brushed the crust with garlic butter to improve upon its old pie. Combine that with a series of persuasive ads (“Puffery” being the latest) and all right, fine, I was up for another taste test.
I’d forgotten that with the new recipe came a new, sophisticated online ordering widget. This was actually very cool. In addition to choosing your quantity, crust and toppings, you can even specify your cheese and sauce placement and concentration (light, extra, half.) Specify delivery or carryout, choose your payment option, and you’re good to go.
Garlic buttery crust
As for the taste…drumroll please….
Crust: As soon as I opened the pizza box, I was hit with an overwhelming garlic odor. It wasn’t entirely appetizing. The garlic and herb dustings were clearly visible on the outer crust.
The crust underneath the sauce and cheese was even more reminiscent of cardboard, if you can believe it. It literally had a taste of paper. It was too soft and yielding.
The outer crust fared a bit better. It had decent flavor but it still wasn’t anything to write home about. Rob’s input: “The outer crust is the reward for making it through the rest of the slice.” But we’ll get to that in a bit.
Sauce: Sugary. Plain. Uninspired. I didn’t taste any of the herbs or red pepper until I felt an unexplained kick at the back of my throat. Heat with no flavor – not good.
Cheese: This was the worst offender of the whole pizza. Plastic in texture. No flavor. Gooey and gummy. Low-quality. Not a single hint of provolone, or even mozzarella if we’re being honest. Just. Bad.
What bothered me most was that none of the flavors, textures or spices seemed to meld. All of the pizza’s miscellaneous tastes jumped out on their own without complementing each other. Garlic, tomato and red pepper are ingredients that normally harmonize in good sauce. Not here. Not by a long shot.
We live in the great state of New Haven apizza. While we don’t live within quick driving distance of Wooster Street, Connecticut is home to a million pizza places. Each and every one of them would leave Domino’s quaking in their boots.
Pizza eaters of America that only have Domino’s at their disposal – I weep for your misfortune.
Edited to add: Please feel free to share your favorite pizza place with us here! Some of my favorite local shops: Frank Pepe’s of course (I like the Manchester location), First & Last in Hartford, the white clam at Modern Apizza and the classic Red Rose Pizzeria in Springfield.
Leeanne Griffin is a freelance writer and food enthusiast.
As a GF gal, I need to give a huge shout-out to Risotteria on Bleecker Street in NYC. It was some of the best pizza I’ve ever had, gluten-free or otherwise. It will be the first place that Steve and I eat when we go up in May. http://www.risotteria.com/
Hands-down for me in Boston? Regina Pizzeria. It did not help my diet that I lived a half-block away for 2 years.
For delivery, I was always satisfied with Papa John’s. They offered thin-crust, which was always just crispy enough; flavor was decent; they did not skimp on toppings nor concentrate all the topping on one part of the pizza – everything was evened out (weird peeve of mine).
I would NEVER have even a slice of pizza (how can they even call it that), from Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, Papa Gino’s or any of those chains. I have had it and it all tastes gross. I am a favorite of Sally’s on Wooster St. in New Haven and also Roseland in Derby, CT. Pepe’s is good but a bit too greasy. The Pepe’s at Mohegan Sun has a different taste. Just my 2 cents.
Wait. Back up! There’s a gym that has free pizza? OK, well bad pizza. But, still …
My favorite places for pizza in the Valley are Santini’s in Ansonia (and they deliver), and Italian Pavilion in Derby. Traveling a little farther, I LOVE the Margherita pizza at Old Towne in Trumbull. It is by far the best Margherita pizza I’ve ever had.
Bellas pizza is vey good and good priced. They deliver and I think they are one of the best to go to. I say forget corporate and support our local valley business owners.
Leeanne,
You and I go to the same gym. In defense of the gym, the pizza is made on wheat crust. But I don’t understand the logic of promoting greasy food in a healthy-related environment. I see people who just finished an hour run on the treadmill walk over to the counter and grab two pieces of the pizza. why bother?!
My favorite pizzas are from Shelton Pizza Palace, Apollo’s in Derby and Santini’s in Ansonia. Pepe’s is good, been to New Haven and Fairfield. They both taste different too. GoodFellas in Bridgeport is good too.
You go to Planet Fitness? I can’t say I’ve actually taken advantage of the free pizza at the gym…
[...] know how I feel about the new recipe. Then again, I technically contributed my own $6+ to this profit [...]
We caved too. I found the garlicon the crust interesting but basically a gimmick and fake tasting. I liked the sauce, definitely robust! Cheese was fine (we are a ‘light cheese’ family so liked the vailability ot oder it that way on line). Online ordering was awesome. Cust was the biggest letdown, not awful like some other mass produced pizza but far from good. There was a little moisture in it which I think helps but very dry and not chewy or crispy. Of course it can’t hold a candle to almost any local pizza place, but my guess is that in vast areas of the country overrun with the likes of pizza hut or pap johns or dominos it is a big improvement, and I really respect the ad campaign, since it got us to try it and we would get it again (but not first choice). By the way I tried the brooklyn ctust too or whatever they call it and it was thinner but worse.